Top ranked boxer Tiara Brown represents Fort Myers on world stage

Fort Myers’ own Tiara Brown is the number one ranked featherweight boxer in the world right now and has a shot at the WBC World Featherweight Championship belt in a few weeks.

But no matter how far she goes, Brown never forgets where she came from.

Tiara Brown spends most afternoons training with young boxers at the Fort Myers Police Athletic League.

It’s her passion and what keeps her going.

“I just think that I want to give these kids back what I had,” Brown said.

Born and raised in Lee County, Brown fell in love with sports at an early age.

“I ran track and cross country. I played basketball, but I had two cousins that were boxers, so while I would be getting ready for basketball tournaments, I would go to the boxing gym and I just got really good at it so I never stopped.”

Athletics kept her out of trouble.

“I always had the PAL to be there for me, like a recreation center. I never was out there with my friends hanging out in the neighborhood when they shouldn’t have been. I know for sure the PAL saved my life.”

Now, it’s taken her to the top.

She is currently the top-ranked female featherweight boxer by the WBC with a record of 18 wins and 0 losses — with 11 knockouts.

Brown is gearing up for a fight against the reigning world champion, Skye Nicolson, down under in Australia.

“It’s the belt I’ve always wanted since I was a professional fighter. In my opinion, it’s the best belt to have as a professional boxer and the fact that she has it, she’s Australian, I know I’m going to win it and bring it back to America.”

But taking the time to train herself for her big fight doesn’t take her away from the kids at PAL.

“I love them so much, my little munchkins. They tell me about their day, how school was. We see their grades, you know, we know what’s going on.”

Exchanging jabs worldwide is just the icing on the cake of a career focused on being a positive role model.

“We live in a society now where people are looking up to rappers that are talking about violence, gun violence, you know, drugs and all that. I tell my kids, don’t look up to that. That’s not something you should look up to. You should look up to someone who’s motivating, who’s positive.”

She hopes to shine a light on the good in her hometown and the kids who come to the PAL.

“That’s all we say is like, 239 Fort Myers. I think I’m going to put the world on notice that I’m one of the best female boxers to have ever lived and I’m from this little, small town of Fort Myers. And if I can do it from this little small town, other girls feel like they can do it.”

The WBC World Featherweight Championship is on the line on March 22 in Sydney, Australia, and Tiara plans to bring the belt home to the 239.